Pick-up and separating machine



G. I. KOHR.

P'|CK UP AND SEPARATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 16, 1920.

1,385,874. Patehted uly 26, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET GRANVILLE I. KOHR, OF YORK, PENNSYLVANIA.

PICK-11? AN D SEPARATING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 26', 1921.

Application filed March 16, 1920. Serial No. 366,442.

To all whom 2'25 may concern Be it known that I, GRANVILLE I. KoHR, a citizen of the United States, residing at York, in the county of York and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pick-Up and Separating Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in pick-up and separating machines adapted for picking up articles such as dough balls and feeding the articles into separate compartmentsv from which they may be removed by operators, thus permitting the dough balls to be fed into the main feeding chute faster than a single operator can handle them, the pickup device serving to remove the dough balls from the main feeding'chute and then depositing them in the separate compartments.

The invention has for another object, the construction of a drum and fingers for the separate compartments of the drum and arranged so that all of them may be positioned to pass inoperative relation to the main feeding chute and remove the dough balls from the same one at a time, the dough balls passing into the compartments of the drum from which they will be deposited into the separate compartments of thetable for removal by the operators.

A further object of the invention is to provide apick-up and separating machine of the above stated character in which the main feeding chute may be readily adjusted according to the size of dough balls or other articles placed therein.

The invention has for a further object, the provision of a pick-up and separating machine of the above stated character in which will be provided a novel form of drum having pockets, certain of which may discharge their articles from the ends of the drum while the remaining pockets or compartments discharge their articles from the open sides thereof through which the articles were received.

The invention has for a still further object, the provision of a pick-up and separating machine of the above statedcharacter which will be of comparatively simple construction and" operation, inexpensive and highly eflicient in use.

With the foregoing View, as will be apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of cooperating parts as hereinafter more specifically set forth, claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of the improved machine.

Fig. 2 is a View side elevation.

Fig. 3 is a front machine.

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view, taken on the plane of line #41 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail section taken on the plane of line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view through the fingers for one of the pockets of the drum to show the manner in which the working faces orupper side facesare curved so as to prevent the dough balls or other articles from rolling off the sides. of the pickup fingers.

Referring more in detailto the drawings in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, feeding chute having a flat bottom and upstanding sides 11, the flat bottom being curved upwardly at its lower end, as shown at 12 and provided with spaced longitudinal slots 13, the purpose of which will pre sently appear. The main chute 10 or feed ing chute has an elongated slot 14 extended longitudinally in its bottom or main portion and through which is extended or engaged the supporting screw 15 which also through the stationary supporting members 16 and has a thumb nut 17 or the like threaded on its lower end so that the main feed chute 10 may be readily secured in its adjusted position. The lower ends 18 of the sides 11 are hinged to the main portion thereof, as shown at 19, the purpose of which will be readily apparent.

The drum 20 is mounted upon a rotatable shaft 21 which has bearings in the upstanding portions 22 secured to the opposite members 23 of the divided receiving trough, or operating table 24 which latter is also inclined in a plane slightly below the plane of the main feed trough 10 but substantially parallel thereto, the upper end of the divided trough or operating table 24 being spaced slightly belowthe lowerend 12 of the main showing the machine in elevation of the improved 10 indicates the inclined main extends and other objects in f 1 the like so that the shaft chute 10, as shown in Figs. 2,and 42 of the drawings. The dividing trough or operating table 24 also has a lower end wall 25 and three short longitudinal partitions 26 extended from the lower end 'inember 25 toward the upper open end of the divided trough or operating table and for about one half the length of the table or trough, the purpose of which will presently appear. The divided trough or operating table 2e has downwardly extended longitudinal slots 27, which extend to a short distance below the upper ends of the partitions 26, the slots being preferably arranged so that two appear on each or other side of the central partition 26. It is also to be understood, by reference to Figs.'1 and 3 of the drawings that in this preferred form of the invention three partitions are employed, thereby dividing the trough or operating table into four compartments of substantially the same size or width. It is also to be noted that the slots 27 will be in substantial alinement with the slots 13, the purpose of which will presently appear. 4 r

The shaft 21 is so mounted above the up er end of the divided trough or operating table 2 1 that the drum 20 may rotate within the upper end of its trough, upwardly of the upper end of the partition 26, as shown in Fig; 1 of the drawings. The shaft 21 may be provided with a belt wheel 22 or 21 may be rotated by any suitable power. 7

The'drum 20 is preferably a'solid drum with pockets formed therein, practically one fourth of the drum being used for'pockets and every one of the four pockets having one open s de opening on to the periphery off the drum, as Wlll be understood by referring to Figs..1 and 3 as well as Fig. 4t of the drawings. The pockets in the drum 20 are numbered 29, 30 31 and '32 respectively; the

pockets 29 and 31 being located in diametri cally opposite portionsoi' the drum 20 and opening upon the outer periphery thereof; as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 1-. Each of the pockets 29 and 31 has 'onest'ra ight wall and an inclined bottom wall which extends from one end fof the. pocket downwardly to the otheror open discharge end thereof, as shown in F ig. 2 of the drawings so that each end pocket may discharge into one end of the end 'orisid' compartments '34- or 35 of the divided trough or operating tab-1e24, Thedrumis so positioned that the end pocket 29 may dischargein theside compartment, 3 1 whilethe end compartment 31 may, after a 'half re'volution oif the drum 20,

discharge its contents into the side compartment 35 of the divided trough or operating table 24. Pockets 30 and .32 of the drum are positioned at diametrically opposite points of the drum and betweenthe end pockets 29 andfil as c e ly Shown iIr'Fig'. 4; of the V aassing as drawings. Each of the pockets 30 and 32 is also provided with a straight wall which is termed a long straight wall and a short straight wall at right angles to the long straight wall, as will be readily understood by referring to Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings. The pockets 30 and 32 are also provided with a straight end wall 36 at one end or edge of the drum 20 while the opposite endwall 37 describes a compound curve, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, thereby making one side of each of the pockets 30 and 32 narrower than the'other side. Thepockcts are so arranged that the straight wall 36 of these pockets is at one side of the drum and the straight wall of the other pocket at the opposite side so that as the drum rotates the pocket 30 will de I pockets 29 and 31 will be prevented from they travel down" the inclined bottom wall of these pockets to the outlet or discharge opening for the pocket in theside or end of the drum 20." 5 ,I j r v Finger supporting members 11 project radiallyfrom the straight ,walls of the our pockets and which may be termedti-e partition walls to support the radially extended fingersor pick-up members 42 which are preferably arranged in sets of four for the four different pockets. The fingers-or pickup members 412 have "enlarged and laterally extended heads 43 "formed on their outer extremities with rounded working faces .44.

The tour fingers or pick-up members 42 for drum are curved transthereof instead ofproperly directed to the pocket "of the drum over which the fingers are extended, and the drum rotates. I The advantage" of curving these fingers injthis manner for each pocketwillbe readily apparent asthe description proceeds. These fingers are a 10, as shown in Fig. 1 and'also Fig. i of the drawings to gather or pick up the articles such as balls of dough i r'om 'the lowercurved end of the main teed troughlO. The four fingers for each compartment will pass upwardly through theseslots to pick up one and 31 empty into the co npartdapted to pass upwardly through the slots 13 in the mainieed trough accordance of such articles for the pocket for which the fingers are provided and as these fingers continue to move upwardly to horizontal or upstanding position during continual rotation of the drum 20, this article will roll from upon the same to the pocket over which the fingers are projecting. Then, as the drum 2O continues rotation, the article will roll within the pocket in which'it has been thrown or deposited and pass out of the outlet side or end of the pocket as the case may be, into the proper compartment of the divided trough or operating table 24:, as previously described. The fingers will then pass downwardly through the slots 2'? of the bottom of the divided trough or operating table 24 and continue moving in an are until they again reach the slots 13 of the main trough 10 to again pass upwardly therethrough and take up another article. It will therefore be seen that the set of arms for the various pockets in the drum 20 will pass through the slots 13 and 27 in succession to pick up the articles for the different pockets of the drum and deposit them in the proper compartments of the divided trough or opperating table 24L as long as the drum is rotated and articles are fed downwardly in the main feed trough 10 to the lower upwardly will be seen that the or pick-up members curved end thereof. It heads 43 of the fingers 42 are extended outwardly past the ends of the supporting members 41 and have their outer ends 45 flattened so that the finger or pick-up members may readily pass through the slots 13 and 27, the curved or pointed pOltiOIldA; moving in advance of the main or body portions of the fingers so as to properly pick up the articles and deposit the same in the pockets of the drum 20. It will be understood that the speed of rotation of the shaft 21 may be readily regulated in with the speed of movement of the articles in the main feed trough 10 and the articles thereby picked up from the lower end 12 of the main feed trough 10 and deposited in the four separate compartments in the divided trough or operating table 24 to be removed by several operators at a greater speed than could be accomplished by a single operator receiving the articles directly from the main feed trough 10.

It is believed that the complete construction and operation of this machine will be readily understood by a careful study of the foregoing paragraphs in connection with the accompanying drawings and further detail description thereof is deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction and arrange ment of parts may be resorted to within the scope of what is claimed Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

hat is claimed is 1,. A pick-up and separating machine comdrum so that articles may prising a main feed chute, an operating table divided into separate compartments, means for picking up articles from said main feed chute, a solid rotatable drum, said last mentioned means being carried by said solid rotatable drum, said solid rotatable drum having pockets to receive said articles, said pockets having discharge openings to deliver said articles to the separate compartments of said operating table, and means for rotating said rotatable means.

2. A pick-up and separating machine comprising a main feed chute, an operating table divided into separate compartments, a solid drum rotatable between said main feeding chute and said operating table, said solid drum being provided with pockets, certain of said pockets opening upon-the ends of said partments of said operating table, the remaining pockets of said solid drum opening upon the periphery thereof to deposit articles into the inner compartment of said operating table, and pick up members carried by said drum for picking up articles from said main teed chute and depositing the same into 3. A pick-up and separating machine comprising a main feed chute, an operating table divided into compartments, a drum rotatable between said main feed chute and said op erating table, said drum being provided with pockets opening at various points upon said he delivered by the drum into the separate compartments of said operating table during rotation of said drum, guide walls for said pockets to direct the articles to the discharge openings thereof, said main teed chute and said operating table having longitudinal slots formed in their opposed ends, and pick up fingers projecting radiallftroin said-drum at the sides of said pockets to pick up articles from said main feed chute and deposit the same into the pockets of said drum during rotation of the latter.

at. A pick-up and separating machine comprising a main feed chute having upwardly curved fingers formed at its lower end, an operating table divided into compartments, a drum rotatably mounted between the operating table and main feed chute and pro vided with pockets for delivering articles to the various compartments of the said operating table, said pockets having guide and guard walls at one side to prevent premature or improper-discharge of said articles, and pick up fingers extended radially from the edge of each pocket of said drum and provided with curved and pointed heads at their ends positioned at an angle to the main portion thereof to pick up articles from the main feed chute for the pockets of said drum durin rotation of the latter.

5. r pick-up and separating machine comdrum to deposit articles into side comthe pockets of said solid drum.

part'ments,

prising a main feed chute, an operating table having compartments formed therein, the main feed chute having side walls pivotally mounted adjacent one end of the chute, the lower end portion of the walls being movable toward and away from one another, and means positioned between the chute and the table for delivering articles from the main feed chute to the various compartments of said operating table.

6. A pick-up and Separating machine comprising an inclined main feed chute, an inclined operating table divided into coma rotatable article separating member positioned between said main feeding chute and said operating table and provided withseparating pockets adapted to V deliver articles into diiierent compartments of said operating table upon rotation of said separating member, guide and guard walls for said pockets, pick up fingers carried by said separating member and adapted to pass through the lower end ofthe mainfeeding chuteto pick up articles therefrom for the different pockets of said article separating member during rotation of the latter, and

means torotate the said article separating member.

7 A pick-up and separating machinecomprising a main feed chute, an operating table dividedinto compartments, a drum rotatable between said main feed chute and said operating table, said drum being provided with pockets, certain of said pockets opening upon the ends of said drum to deposit articles into side compartments of said oper ating table, the remaining pockets of said drum opening upon the periphery "thereof to, deposit articles into the main'compartment of said operating table, and transversely curved pick-up members carried by said drum for picking up articles from said main feed chute and depositing the same into the pockets of said drum. 7

8; A pick-up and separating machine comprisinga main feed chute, .an operating table divided into compartments, means for picking up articles from said main'feed chute and depositing the same upon said table,

said means including a rotary drum and 'plck-up fingers,

. the various compartments of the said operating table, said pickupfingers beingcurved transversely to prevent articles from rolling off of the sides of the sets of fingers, and means for rotating said drum.

10. A pickup and separating machine comprising an inclined main teed chute, an inclined operating table divided into compartments, a rotatable article separating member positioned between'said main feed chute and said operating table and provided a with separating pockets adapted to deliver different compartments of saidoperating table upon rotation of said separating member, piclrup'fingers carried by said separating member andjadapted-to pass through the lower end of the main feed chute to pick up articles therefrom for the different pockets of said separating member during rotation of the latter," saidpick up fingers being arrangedin sets for said separating pocket and the fingers of each set being curved transversely to prevent articles from rolling oiiot'the sides of said fingers, and means torotate the said separating member. i i

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in'presence of two witnesses.

GRANVILLE I; KOHR.

articles into -Witnesses:

BENJAMIN F. EMENHEISER, WILLIA C. EVERHART. 

